As part of the international celebrations this year and next year, in honor of Beethoven, the Schiller Institute is happy to inaugurate a new feature on our website. We will regularly post selections of Beethoven’s music with short discussions of the pieces.
Opus 22 “Grande Sonata”Notes by Margaret Scialdone Although somewhat overlooked today, the Opus 22 “Grande Sonata” was a great favorite of Beethoven’s. He assured his publisher that “Die Sonate hat sich gewaschen” (literally, ‘the Sonata has washed itself’, or, ‘it takes the cake’). Composed in 1800 and published in 1802, it’s considered to be the […]
Beethoven Opus 119 Bagatelles Notes by Margaret Scialdone The Opus 119 Bagatelles appeared in London in 1823 as “Trifles for the Piano Forte, Consisting of Eleven pleasing Pieces Composed in Various Styles by L. Van Beethoven”. They are quite accessible to non-celebrity but accomplished pianists, and it’s possible to hear brilliant interpretations by people you […]
Beethoven’s Final Sonata Opus 111 Notes by Margaret Scialdone After completing his 32nd and final piano sonata, Beethoven is said to have made the astonishing remark that the piano is “after all, an unsatisfactory instrument”. This work does indeed strain the limits of both piano and performer, the latter spiritually as well as technically. The […]
Beethoven’s “Der Erlkönig” Notes by Margaret Scialdone Goethe’s poem “Der Erlkönig” tells the story of a boy riding home on horseback in his father’s arms. He is frightened when he hears the seductive voice of the Erl King, a powerful and creepy supernatural being. The Erl King attempts to lure the child into joining him, […]
Beethoven’s humor—“The Test of Kisses” Notes by Fred Haight This song, “Prüfung des Küssens, WoO 89” (The Test of Kissing), was composed between 1790–1791, for Bonn’s Electoral singer, Joseph Lux. It is for a bass and orchestra. The author of the text is unknown, but this song, in the Italian opera buffa style, is skillfully […]
Beethoven : Creatures of Prometheus Notes by Margaret Scialdone In 1801 the ballet master Salvatore Viganó was commanded to prepare a performance for Empress Maria Theresa. He chose the subject of Prometheus giving science and the arts to Mankind, and turned to Beethoven to compose a score for his libretto. “Creatures of Prometheus” is Beethoven’s […]
When Beethoven Becomes Hilarious! Notes by Fred Haight We have had several episodes on Beethoven’s sense of humor. Today, we cross over into utter hilarity. Beethoven composed folk songs in many languages, including English, Italian, Danish, and Russian. The first piece today is not a folk song but a setting of Goethe’s The Flea from […]
Goethe and Beethoven: “Getting Along with Girls” Notes by Fred Haight The Classics are often associated with imagery of stuffy-old-white-male who have nothing relatable for the contemporary youth generation. We beg to differ. Goethe’s Mit Mädeln sich Vertragen (Getting Along with Girls), written in 1787, is a poem that makes hilarious fun of the “machismo” […]
Beethoven’s Sense of Humor Part 2: “To beat, or not to beat.” Notes By Fred Haight In part 1 of Beethoven’s humor, we wrote about “Rage of a Lost Penny”. Today, we talk about the humor in Beethoven’s 8th symphony. Johann Nepomuk Maelzel tried his hand at Artificial Intelligence about two centuries ago. It did […]
Beethoven and Tragedy: The Coriolan Overture Notes By Fred Haight We have already talked about Beethoven’s sense of the heroic; and the power and optimism expressed in his Third Symphony, his only opera Fidelio, and the Egmont Overture. However, an important part of trying to create a positive outcome for society, involves the study of […]